Bucket mounting hinge

ABSTRACT

A series of mounting hinges are fixed to a bucket and to a supporting boom. Movement of the bucket producess a scissor action between the hinges and the boom with the boom member passing between the respective hinge plates. The plates have cutouts which allow any material trapped therebetween during scissor movement to escape.

Unite States Borowski et a1.

atent 91 1 BUCKET MOUNTING HINGE [75] Inventors: Norbert Pr Borowski, Bellwood;

Donald C. Marek, Hickory Hills; Bruno J. Panek, Palos Heights; Walter F. Klaviter, Hickory Hills, all of I11.

[73] Assignee: International Harvester Company,

Chicago, Ill.

[22] Filed: June 14, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 262,876

[52] US. Cl. 214/145, 37/118 R [51] Int. Cl E02f 3/28 ,[58] Field of Search 214/145; 37/118 R, 118 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,926,800 3/1960 Larsen 214/145 [111 3,860,131 [451 Jan. 14, 1975 3,077,999 2/1963 Svoboda 214/145 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,146,308 3/1969 England .t 37/118 A Primary ExaminerRobert J. Spar Assistant Examiner-Ross Weaver Attorney, Agent, or FirmJohn A. Schaerli; Floyd B. Harman [57] ABSTRACT A series of mounting hinges are fixed to a bucket and to a supporting boom. Movement of the bucket produ cess a scissor action between the hinges and the boom with the boom member passing between the respective hinge plates. The plates have cutouts which allow any material trapped therebetween during scissor movement to escape.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures BUCKET MOUNTING HINGE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a means for securing a material handling bucket to a vehicle carried boom, and more particularly to a self-cleaning mounting means which secures the bucket to the boom. In the conventional prior art bucket and boom arrangements, the bucket is secured to the boom by a bracket arrangement. For the most part the bracket is securely fastened to the bucket, and has one end or corner which pivots on the boom upon actuation of a hydraulic cylinder, such as occurs during rollback. These bracket or hinge means must be substantially rigid to support the stresses and strains during normal routine use, and thus a number of designs have been resorted to. A design often resorted to consists of four plate members which form two pair or brackets or hinges. The plates are welded to the bucket and fitted over one'end of the boom in a pivotal sandwich-like manner. Such a design has been found to be substantially rigid to withstand continuous day to day work. However, as is apparent since the brackets and the boom upon actuation of the hydraulic cylinder tend to move in a scissor-like manner material can be packed and compressed between the plates which comprise the bracket. This repeated compression of material between the. plates of the bracket tend to weaken the structure and may result in destruction thereof.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a bucket mounting means which upon pivoting on a boom in a scissor-like manner allows for the escape of trapped materials. .Yet another object of this invention is to provide a self-cleaning bucket mounting bracket which during the normal working cycle does not allow the buildup of entrapped material and the subsequent weakening of the structural integrity thereof. Since another object of this invention is to provide a bucket mounting means having an abbreviated structure to prevent or avoid the buildup of entrapped materials.

In accordance with this invention a mounting means is provided for the pivotal securing of a loader bucket to the vehicle mounted boom. The bracket, hinge or mounting means includes a series of elongated platemeans welded to the back side of the bucket in pairs such that the two boom members can fit, one between each pair of said plates and create a pivotal relationship therewith. Thus, any materials which may have accumulated on the boom arms or fallen between the parallel plate members will be compressed therebetween as. a result of pivotal or scissor-like motion thereof. This possibility is extremely prevelent when working in a heavy sticky material such as clay or mud. The mounting bracket as herein provided has an abbreviated structure which not only allows for the escape of entrapped materials upon the scissor-like actuation, but also prevents their initial buildup.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detail description and upon reference to the drawings, in which;

FIG. 1 is side view of a tractor carrying a boom structure upon which is mounted a bucket in a position which corresponds to the normal float position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the bucket and mounting bracket means;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the bucket and mounting bracket means; and

FIG. 4 is a partially cut away side view of the bucket and hinge means. i 7

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly FIG. 1, wherein a loader arrangement designated generally at 10 is shown. The assembly includes a tractor means 12 which carries the boom means 14 upon the end 16 of which is mounted a bucket means 18. The bucket means 18 is pivotally mounted on the boom ends 16 by a bracket means 20, the pivoting actuation being supplied by double acting hydraulic piston means 22.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the bucket 18 and selfcleaning mounting means 20 are viewed separated from the boom means 16 and hydraulic cylinder means 22. The self-cleaning bracket means-20 in a preferred form includes a pair generally triangular plate means 24 and 24a. As is apparent the other bracket means 20a is identical and thus for the sake of simplicity, discussion will be limited to bracket means 20. These plate members have first, second and third corner means 26, 28 and 30 and first, second and third side means 30, 34 and 36. The first side means 32 is welded or otherwise fixed by suitable means to the back side 38 of bucket 18. The second and third corner means 28 and 30 are provided with securing means for attachment to the hydraulic cylinder means 22 and the boom means 16. In the preferred embodiment the securing means consists of hole means 40 and 42 through which pin means (not shown) are passed through corresponding hole means in the cylinder means 22 and boom means 16 such that a pivotal relationship is established and regard to each. As is apparent the plate means 20 need not be triangular in shape but can be any flat plate means which is secured to the back side 38 of the bucket and provided with suitable pivotal attachment means to the pistons 22 and boom 16 or for that matter to linkage means which connect to these elements. As shown in FIG. 3 an angle stiffening means 44 is positioned between the two plate means 24 and 24a. The means 44 generally strengthens the overall bracket and provides for the additional stability necessary for a long life at an economical rate. The strengthening plate means is welded or otherwise suitably fixed to the inner walls 46 and 48 of the plate members 24 and 24a. The upper part 50 of strengthening means 44 is welded to the back side 38 of bucket 18 while the lower end means 52 is suitably fixed to runner or wear plate means 51. The second side 34 of plate means 24 is abbreviated as shown in FIG. 2 by the provision of a half moon-shape cutout means 54. As is apparent, both plate members 24 and 24a may be provided with a cutout means such as means 54 or depending upon circumstances only one cutout means need be so provided.

In the operation of the loader assembly as shown in FIG. 1, material is gathered in bucket 18, which when full it is rolled back or pulled by hydraulic cylinder means 22 back toward the vehicle 12. This motion creates a scissor-like pivotal relationship between boom 16 and bracket means 20, second side 34 defining one of said scissor arms and face 56 of boom means 16 defining the other. All of said pivoting taking place around corner 30. In a full rollback position the plate members 24 and 24a pass on either side of boom 16 until face 56 thereof contacts or comes near back 38 of bucket 18 near corner 28. As is apparent such action would tend to pack any material which may have accumulated on boom arms 16 or another part of the mounting means between the plate means 24 and 24a. Because of the generally confining action of angle stiffener means 44 such material would tend to accumulate and upon being subjected to the compressive forces resulting from the scissor action, force inner faces 46 and 48 of plate means 24 and 24a in an outwardly directing force such that the said plate means would tend to spread further apart. Such forces would tend to weaken all of the welds involvedin the mounting means 20 and could cause enough spreading between the plates 24 and 24a such that the pins passing through holes 40 and 42 would break or fall out.

There has thus been described a self-cleaning mounting means for securing a material-handling bucket means to a supporting boom means. The mounting means includes a series of spaced-apart support means existing in pairs with a gap or space therebetween. One of said pairs of support means existing at each side of a bucket in conjunction with the boom means. The support means are generally triangular shaped plates having one side affixed to the bucket and having the boom passed into the space between the plates and pivotally secured thereto. A strengthening means is also provided in the space between the plates. As the bucket is rolled back the sections that would normally pass over the boom member are abbreviated such that mud or other material would not tend to be packed into that area between the plates.

Thus it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the invention, a self-cleaning bucket hinge means that fully satisfies the objects, aims, and advantages set forth above. While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A self-cleaning means for securing a hydraulically actuated material handling bucket means to a support boom means comprising:

a series of spaced apart hinge support means existing in pairs each defining a generally triangular formed plate means;

said triangular plate means having first, second, and

third edge means and first, second, and third corner means;

said first edge means being fixed to said bucket means and said third edge means being cutaway;

said second corner means being pivotally secured to said boom means hydraulic piston means having one end pivotally connected to said boom means, the other end being pivotally secured to said third edge means, said cutaway portion of said third edge means being located between the attachment points of said boom means and said hydraulic piston means; said hydraulic piston means, said pair of hinge support means pivot in relation to said boom means in a scissor-like manner, one of said hinge support means passing on either side thereof whereby said cutaway third edge means allows the passage of mud therefrom over the entire work cy- 

1. A self-cleaning means for securing a hydraulically actuated material handling bucket means to a support boom means comprising: a series of spaced apart hinge support means existing in pairs each defining a generally triangular formed plate means; said triangular plate means having first, second, and third edge means and first, second, and third corner means; said first edge means being fixed to said bucket means and said third edge means being cutaway; said second corner means being pivotally secured to said boom means hydraulic piston means having one end pivotally connected to said boom means, the other end being pivotally secured to said third edge means, said cutaway portion of said third edge means being located between the attachment points of said boom means and said hydraulic piston means; said hydraulic piston means, said pair of hinge support means pivot in relation to said boom means in a scissor-like manner, one of said hinge support means passing on either side thereof whereby said cutaway third edge means allows the passage of mud therefrom over the entire work cycle. 